Known embodiments of connecting rods are formed by a metallic material. Alternatively, the connecting rod may also be constructed with a fiber-reinforced plastics material. Among the purposes for which connecting rods serve in aircraft construction is that of mechanically supporting the floor structure or connecting the same to the fuselage structure, that is to say in particular to the ring frames. During normal operation, the connecting rods are exposed to the loads normally occurring during flight. In the event of an accident of the aircraft, however, the connecting rods have to withstand loads far beyond the normal flight loads. In particular in the direction of flight, the ratio between crash loads and general flight loads is very high, in the direction of flight approximately 1 to 4.
Accordingly, the known connecting rods are designed with respect to their mechanical load-bearing capacity for the loads occurring in the worst case, that is to say in particular the crash loads or accident loads. As a result, the known connecting rods are overdimensioned for normal flight operation, resulting in unnecessary extra weight in this flight condition.
Pure crash loads are absorbed in crash nets of very low weight with plastic cables. However, these are stretched far more under load than a rigid solution. Under a crash load, the deformations may of course be much greater.